Local woman drives those who cannot drive themselves

OKLAHOMA CITY - Things have been rough for Delores Anderson recently. Her windshield cracked, and coming up with the money to fix it hasn’t been easy.

But that didn’t stop her from hitting the road nearly every weekend, and often on weeknights.

That’s because Delores drives people around in the community who don’t have another way to get where they're going.

She doesn’t just take people; sometimes, she delivers food to people who can’t get out, runs errands and helps out in any way she can.

“Anyone who needs a ride, if you ask her, she`ll never turn you down,” Nadine said.

That’s why Nadine Smith wanted Delores to be the one getting helped out this time.

Nadine wanted Delores to get the money she needed to fix the windshield, and maybe a little extra just to say “Thank you.” So Nadine decided to nominate Delores for the First Fidelity Bank Pay It Forward Award.

You see, Delores has been there for Nadine so many times before. The time when Nadine’s car broke down and couldn’t get to Bible study, for instance. Delores made sure Nadine had a way to get there.

The same thing was true for all of the places Nadine needed to go at night. Nadine can’t see at night, and Delores was her only way to get around after dark when she needed to be somewhere.

Delores did it all with a loving spirit, never asking for anything in return. “She never complains,” Nadine said. “She doesn't get upset with you when she's in the traffic. She`s just super.”

Delores still works, even though she’s close to retirement age. We decided to surprise her at her workplace, Paycom, in Oklahoma City. She had no idea we were coming.

When her co-workers brought her to the lobby where we were waiting, she was shocked to see Nadine there, ready to pay her $400.

“Thank you for all that you do,” Nadine said as she gave Delores the money. “Praise the Lord.”

Delores was shocked, and thankful. The extra cash really helped make things a little easier.

“My daughter told me about how much she thought the windshield would cost,” Delores said, “and this will definitely cover it. Thank you. God is good, all the time.”

But that wasn’t the end of the story. Paycom wanted to show their appreciation for the selfless way Delores helps out the community. When they heard she was getting the First Fidelity Bank Pay It Forward Award, they decided to match it and give Delores a little extra cash.

The key thing to remember is that Delores never asked for people to thank her. In fact, Nadine said she’d probably be embarrassed to have so much attention focused on her good work.

“She's the kind of person who if she knew it she probably wouldn't even allow it,” Nadine said. “So I`m just glad we`re doing it like this because I know it's going to be a shock to her.”

Delores has since fixed her windshield, and more importantly, she continues to help her friends, neighbors and community out in any way she can. We’re thankful for what she does.